Nightmares Unnumbered
by paperache
Summary: Monsters aren't the ones hiding under your bed, but the ones abandon in dreams.


**NACHTMAHR**

_Monsters aren't the ones hiding under your bed, but the ones abandon in dreams. _

*Warning: Character deaths, imagery, and sexual situations.

**ONE**.

_ Gnash. Gnash. Gnash. _

It was during Sarah's fall quarter that she received a disturbing phone call. Answering just as she was leaving class, Sarah was surprised to hear Karen on the other line. The stepmother seemed hysterical, crying even, as she told Sarah the details of the previous months.

It started a month or two after Toby's sixth birthday. One night Karen was fetching herself a glass of water when she passed by to see Toby on the outside balcony. His body was curled up by the edge, clearly in deep sleep.

At first Karen thought Toby fell asleep from watching the stars. Often he would sneak up to the rooftop to night watch. Shaking her head, Karen went to tuck her son back in. She lifted Toby by his stomach, exposing some of his stomach where she saw-

"Scratch marks," Karen sobbed, "I saw scratch marks on my poor baby's stomach."

"Maybe he's scratching," Sarah reasoned. She rubbed her temple, feeling stressed from the upcoming exams.

"Oh, Sarah but it looks so much worst than that! They were tiny, like a cat did it… but not really…"

"The Jeffersons' have a cat. Maybe Toby has been playing with them."

"That cat died years ago," Karen sighed, "But perhaps I'm just thinking too much. Your father said I do tend to overthink."

"Uh huh."

"It's the funniest thing. The other night I thought I saw something in Toby's room and threw the hugest fit."

"Oh yeah?" Sarah looked out her window, bored.

"Yes," Karen said and then chuckled, "I thought I saw a snake. Isn't that weird? But then I went back to check it was only a scarf."

_Gnash. Gnash. Gnash. _

A chill fell over Sarah, "You saw what now?"

"Strangest thing. I don't remember owning many scarves like that print. Perhaps it was yours, Sarah?"

The following weekend Sarah made sure to catch the first bus home. She had enough confident in her grades to miss a test or two. Sitting on the edge of the seat she played with the ends of her sleeves.

_Gnash. Gnash. Gnash._

A headache, Sarah insisted. She cradled her head in her arms and sighed.

"Why don't you sit by the window?" A child asked. She was in the seat in front of Sarah and poked her head over the stop of her chair, "My mom doesn't let me because I lean on the glass and that worries her. Is that why you don't do it?"

Sarah smiled softly, "Sure."

Then Sarah looked down on her lap, trying not to catch Hoggle's reflection in the window. He had grown horrible over the years, his eyes were white with anger and nostrils were flared. His teeth gnashed and made biting noses that haunted Sarah when she slept. So much so, she had taken to covering up her vanity mirror at night.

_You don't exist_, she whispered.

_I do_, he bit at her and he made promises of eating her heart, of scalping her hair, and taking out all of her teeth of make a necklace for himself. Sarah turned her body, pretending to sleep for the rest of the trip.

But if Sarah was awake, there was no reason for the Labyrinth to sleep, and so Hoggle kept gnashing his teeth and prayed for the day Sarah acknowledged him.

**TWO**.

Sarah was warmly welcomed upon her arrival home. Toby rushed into his sister's arms, welcoming her with kisses on her cheeks, nose, and neck. Chuckling, Sarah held her brother as she walked into the warm house. While her father carried Sarah's luggage up the stairs, Karen regarded her with worried eyes.

"He seems fine," Sarah mouthed as Toby lead her to his room.

"The marks," Karen insisted, "When you get the chance."

"Sarah!" Toby yelled, possessively, "I'm waiting!"

"Coming," Sarah replied.

She hurried into her brother's room and was met with a startling sight. Christmas was only nine months ago and the last time Sarah visited. Back then Toby had so many toys, even, that one couldn't be able to see the carpet. Karen had often tried keeping her son's room as clean as possible. However, even when Toby's room was clean, there were traces of the boy's childishness from the toys on the shelves to the picture books stacked neatly on the side.

The room Sarah saw now was completely different. Gone were the primary colored toys and instead were brown bears and parchment paper, on the shelves were snow globes of different, fantastic places, and rock collections scattered about the room.

"Wow, Toby," Sarah was in awe, "Your tastes sure have changed, haven't they?"

"Maybe," Toby kittenishly grinned, "Sarah, play with me!"

"Alright, but first, come here."

"Why?"

"Just come here," Sarah smiled and she sat cross-legged on the floor.

Toby tumbled into his sister's lap, where she lifted up his shirt. The scratch marks extended on either side of his belly, as if something had tried grabbing him but failed. Sarah gulped, understanding that the claw marks looked like ones belonging to a small fox.

"Toby," Sarah said, "How long have you had these marks?"

"I don't know," Toby sang, "They were there when I woke up!"

Sarah followed the marks with her index finger, suddenly feeling very tired. Toby eyed his sister carefully, and then took two of her fingers into his tiny palm. The action startled Sarah and she looked up at her brother.

"Let's play," Toby whined, "I want to play."

"Okay," Sarah smiled and she let Toby show her his rock collection, each of which, he had given a very special name.

**THREE. **

Sarah hadn't planned to sleep that night, but the bus trip made her weary. She fell asleep with Toby on his bed. His body tucked beneath her arms.

In her dreams she was walking in a maze. The maze seemed tall with impossible walls in which moved about to confuse her. Having enough with being lost, Sarah pulled a lipstick tube from her pocket with which she drew arrows.

"That won't work, you know," A fairy hissed in her ear.

"Why not?" Sarah asked, "It seems like it would work."

"The imps will just reverse the arrows," Another bit, "They do like playing around like that."

"How horrible!"

"_No I ain't! I'm Hoggle!" _

Sarah gasped and looked behind her. A dirty pound was three feet away from her. Besides it a shovel and fairy-repellent laid abandon. She walked up towards it and met her reflection.

"Hoggle?"

Suddenly two skinny arms flew out of the pond. Grabbing Sarah by the shoulders, the face emerged and spat. Sarah gasped upon the saliva's impact and wrestled about to free herself. She fell back on the dirt. A red headed demon laughed in her face and then three more of his heads sprung from the pond.

"Not here, not here!" A Fiery laughed.

"Aye, Lady what 'chu doin' here," Another cackled.

"Oh what a pretty head, I want a head like that!"

"Not enough red on that head if you ask me, and what an kooky place to grow fur!"

"You," Sarah choked, "You horrid creatures! What are you up to?"

"Us? We up to nothing, just a couple of heads hanging around."

"More like bobbin'," Another round of hoots and cackles.

The Fierys fully emerged from the pond now. There was only one body, but along with it had four heads. One head was used at a seat, while the other three floated about each other.

"Hey! You look tired," A Fiery said, "Have a seat!"

So one of the Fierys set himself on the ground so that Sarah may sit. Unsure of what to do, Sarah sat down. The Fierys seemed pleased with themselves at this point.

"So what's up, chickie?" They asked.

"Nothing, I'm just," Sarah sighed, "I want to get through that maze."

"Why? Ain't nothin' there but an abandoned castle!"

"Abandoned?"

"You don't know?"

"She doesn't know, she doesn't know!" The rest of the heads cackled. The bounced about, making Sarah dizzy.

"Know what?"

"A King used to live there," One spoke, "A Goblin King."

"Sounds cruel," Sarah said, "And ugly."

"You're half right!" They grinned and snapped, "A King lived there, but he wasn't always so cruel!"

"Where is he now?" Sarah asked and felt the head underneath her bounce in response.

Suddenly a scream pierced the dream. The Fierys hollered and whined, rolling away from Sarah. Distressed, the body jumped neck first back into the pond while the three heads hovered and followed.

"Wait!" Sarah screamed. She covered her own ears, "Wait you have to help me!"

"Sorry, Lady!" The head hollered, "We know better than to trust strangers, here!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Another sang, "You're on the your own!"

"Wait!" Sarah called.

Just as the last of the heads retreated to the pond another scream echoed in the Labyrinth. Sarah looked up in time to feel sharp leaves rush and cut about her. They screeched like birds.

_Sawah…. Sawah…_

"Hello?" Sarah called, "Please, someone help me!"

_Sawah…_

"Sarah."

"Toby?" Sarah called, recognizing the voice.

She saw him, feet dangling off the throne of thorns. Either arm was spread on the throne. His eyes were ageless, looking old within a child body. His hair seemed to be shining, vibrant and full of life.

"Sarah," He cocked his head, "Hello."

"Toby!"

"Sarah."

_Sawah._

… Sarah!

She gasped, waking up in cold sweat. Memories rushed back into her head and Sarah rolled off the bed, coughing. The room was spinning, but she made out Toby's rocks, his maps on the floor, and scarves.

Scarves.

They were everywhere under his bed, coiling around each other like a colony. Sarah inhaled and looked on the bed, finding the space cold and empty.

"Sarah!"

It was Karen. Sarah immediately jumped to her feet and ran out the door. The hallway was blue from the morning Sun, and morning mist chilled the air. But it shouldn't have been this cold, and Sarah couldn't be hearing her own breath so clear like this.

She rushed towards the coldness, heading out the door where she found Karen sobbing.

"My baby," She moaned, "Oh God, my baby!"

"Sarah, get back and call the police!"

"No, oh God, no!"

Sarah couldn't hear anything. She walked, slowly out on the patio, Karen's cries echoing in the back. Her father ran out of the room, kicking things that were in his way.

There, on the balcony were scratch marks that zigzagged from the middle to the edge, as if an animal was forcefully dragged to the edge. Sarah walked out to the edge. From the second floor she saw Toby. His limbs were twisted and disfigured and head was snapped in an odd direction. The dead grass that cradled him imitated a crown.

Dizziness hit Sarah, causing her to almost fall off the balcony. She felt something beady and hard when she braced herself.

An intake of breathe.

A cry.

She opened her palm, looking at what was neatly rested on the balcony.

It was a plastic bracelet, pink and purple like the one she had made when she was fourteen.

_You like jewelry, don't you?_

And Sarah wailed, burying her head in her own arms. Behind her she felt Karen shake and hug her body, but she couldn't be sure. All that was certain was the corpse of her brother and the broken promise that had came back to haunt her.

**FOUR**.

Back in the Labyrinth the goblins celebrated the arrival of a new king, his hair was fair and yellow, skin was healthy with life, and eyes were glimmering like blue jewels.

Toby Williams trailed his fingers around a crystal globe. He turned it one way and then another, translating intelligence through imagery. The goblins around him danced and sang, feeling alive for the first time in ages.

"So I am the Goblin King, am I not?" Toby echoed. The Goblins cheered in response.

"That's what I thought," He grinned, toothily.

He sat on the throne, a bit annoyed at his small body, but shrugged. In one hand he cradled the crystal, in the other he cupped his chin.

"Now," He said, "Where do I begin?"

An old voice called up the chatter.

"With me."

_ Gnash. Gnash. Gnash. _

Hoggle walked across the room. His stench hissed and scared the goblins into hiding behind one another. His clothes were decaying and skin even more so. The only thing clear about the putrid creature was the white anger in his eyes. Giant, stone-y teeth ground together to create the densest and whiniest of noises.

"And who may you be?" Toby said. He tilted his head back to look at the creature.

"Hoggle," He muttered and he bowed, "And I have a request for His Majesty."

_His Majesty, _Toby licked the name around in his mouth, liking the taste of it.

"And so?" Toby asked, "What may I do for you?"

"Oh," Hoggle grinned, showing the yellow and dirt in his teeth, "What _can't _you do?"

**FIVE**.

On the edge of darkness a dark soul waited. Any lean muscle the old King once had wasted away to a gaunt figure. He hid beneath an animal pelt. It was something the Labyrinth was kind enough to give him.

Quick talons snatched a rat that skittered by. Jareth brought it up to his face and grinned a predatory grin. He bit into the rat, savoring the warm juice that dripped down his chin.

Then, quickly, his ears perked at a cry he hadn't heard for ages. He stood up, dropping his dinner and dashed to a tall rock. Glitter and stars trailed at his feet.

He listened.

_Goblin King, Goblin King…_

Jareth grinned and braced himself on the rock. He felt her sweet voice in the air, caressing his cheek and warming his skin. Slithering about on the rock, he licked the ground, kissing it.

"Say my name," He whispered, "Foolish girl, say it or call the wrong King!"

_Please… Please…_

"Little girl…"

A whisper.

A promise.

A breath.

And there was a burst of feathers and Jareth felt a surge of energy echo through him. It wasn't enough, but it was good for flight. Stars danced in joy around and dust rose from the ground. A familiar scent filled his nostrils.

Jareth readied himself and shot into the sky, eager to meet his adversary, yet again. 

There was some dance in his old bones, yet.

To be continued…

**Author's Notes: **

Dun. Dun. Dun.

First fanfiction in ages and this is what I come up with: evil friends, dead children, and a rat eating Jareth. This is it!

Critiques and comments are encouraged! I hope you enjoyed this first part… things will get brighter, maybe, hopefully.

Heh. Heh.


End file.
